Make holiday hosting easy

Updated 1:13 pm, Saturday, December 8, 2012

Start your party with a suite of printable decorations. Express-News features producer Imelda Robles created two designs that can be downloaded at MySA.com.

Start your party with a suite of printable decorations. Express-News features producer Imelda Robles created two designs that can be downloaded at MySA.com.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, San Antonio Express-News

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Party decorations are as near as your printer. They help create a focal point with a simple and uncluttered buffet table.

Party decorations are as near as your printer. They help create a focal point with a simple and uncluttered buffet table.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Dressed-up popcorn is an inexpensive party treat.

Dressed-up popcorn is an inexpensive party treat.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Make jars of candy look festive.

Make jars of candy look festive.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Dress up finger foods with fancy identifiers.

Dress up finger foods with fancy identifiers.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Printables for holiday entertaining.

Printables for holiday entertaining.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, Staff

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Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Use a hole punch to make a hole on the red dot. Thread ribbon or twine through the hole to attach to packages. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Use a hole punch to make a hole on the red dot. Thread ribbon or twine through the hole to attach to packages. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

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Print on card stock. Use a 2-inch craft punch and center the round image and punch. Use a toothpick or lollipop stick (available in the baking section at craft stores) and attach the image with tape. Click here to download less

Print on card stock. Use a 2-inch craft punch and center the round image and punch. Use a toothpick or lollipop stick (available in the baking section at craft stores) and attach the image with tape. Click here ... more

Photo: Express-News

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Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Fold on dotted white line. Write name on white area. If you wish to print the names on the computer, copy the image into MS Word or the program of your choice and add the text and print from that program. Click here to download less

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Fold on dotted white line. Write name on white area. If you wish to print the names on the computer, copy the image into MS Word or the program of your choice ... more

Photo: Express-News

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Copy the image to the program of your choice and add text. Print on card stock or plain white paper. Cut along dotted black line. Two invitations fit on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Click here to download

Copy the image to the program of your choice and add text. Print on card stock or plain white paper. Cut along dotted black line. Two invitations fit on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 20 of 37

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Fold along dotted white line. Staple bag tag to top of bag with whatever holiday goodies you plan on giving. If you wish to print a message on the tags, copy the image into MS Word or the program of your choice and add the text and print from that program. Click here to download less

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Fold along dotted white line. Staple bag tag to top of bag with whatever holiday goodies you plan on giving. If you wish to print a message on the tags, copy ... more

Photo: Express-News

Image 21 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 22 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 23 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 24 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 25 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 26 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 27 of 37

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Use a hole punch to make a hole on the red dot. Thread ribbon or twine through the hole to attach to packages.Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Use a hole punch to make a hole on the red dot. Thread ribbon or twine through the hole to attach to packages.Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 28 of 37

Print on card stock. Use a 2-inch craft punch and center the round image and punch. Use a toothpick or lollipop stick (available in the baking section at craft stores) and attach the image with tape. Click here to download less

Print on card stock. Use a 2-inch craft punch and center the round image and punch. Use a toothpick or lollipop stick (available in the baking section at craft stores) and attach the image with tape. Click here ... more

Photo: Express-News

Image 29 of 37

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Fold on dotted white line. Write name on white area. If you wish to print the names on the computer, copy the image into MS Word or the program of your choice and add the text and print from that program. Click here to download less

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Fold on dotted white line. Write name on white area. If you wish to print the names on the computer, copy the image into MS Word or the program of your choice ... more

Photo: Express-News

Image 30 of 37

Copy the image to the program of your choice and add text. Print on card stock or plain white paper. Cut along dotted black line. Two invitations fit on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Click here to download

Copy the image to the program of your choice and add text. Print on card stock or plain white paper. Cut along dotted black line. Two invitations fit on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 31 of 37

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Fold along dotted white line. Staple bag tag to top of bag with whatever holiday goodies you plan on giving. If you wish to print a message on the tags, copy the image into MS Word or the program of your choice and add the text and print from that program. Click here to download less

Print on card stock and cut along black tick marks. Fold along dotted white line. Staple bag tag to top of bag with whatever holiday goodies you plan on giving. If you wish to print a message on the tags, copy ... more

Photo: Express-News

Image 32 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 33 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 34 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 35 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download

Photo: Express-News

Image 36 of 37

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread the ribbon or through the back. Click here to download less

Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along Print on card stock and cut out each piece. Make a little cut or punch a small hole along the black tick marks to thread ... more

Photo: Express-News

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Make holiday hosting easy

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Editor's Note: Click the link in the downloads to print each graphic

If you find yourself on the sending side of party invitations, relax. Host doesn't have to be a four-letter word of the foulest sort, and you don't have to be a pro to do it in style. Borrow some pointers from pros to make you and your fete something to celebrate.

Stick with a theme or a color scheme to keep from drowning in the sea of options. Printed party items make themes easy. If everything from your invitation to place cards to tags for favor bags matches, your party looks pulled together.

Our two sets of printable holiday designs are free to download at mysa.com. Customize as you wish, print them on cardstock, cut out and let the party begin. Find other options, some free and some for nominal charge, through etsy.com, Pinterest and party-planning blogs.

Party planner Amanda Lee of San Antonio frequently turns to Hostess with the Mostess (blog.hwtm.com) for inspiration. The site, and others like it, illustrates the power of presentation and clever concepts. The idea might start with a small collection of themed holiday ornaments or even sparkling accents you gather from throughout your house.

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Pull it all together on a table or buffet to create a focal point. Add whimsical, elegant or rustic accents to suit the mood of the gathering.

Lee, a chiropractor who recently started a second business, A Pretty Party Planner, likes to label foods with clever names that fit her theme. "For a Super Bowl party, we had taquitos, and they were goal posts," she says.

Put the actual food name under the clever label on one of the printable cards or labels.

Lee breaks the planning into categories: décor, food and favors. She makes lists for each. While her decorations might look extravagant, she knows when to keep things simple.

E-vites are a budget-friendly way to send invitations, Lee says, and she likes easy food.

"Stick with stuff you know." The online design-sharing site Pinterest offers a bounty of ideas for sprucing up ordinary food. Take fruit as an example. Lee has served it in ice cream cones for a carnival theme, on skewers and in little nut dishes.

"It's still just fruit, but it's in the way you present it," she says.

If you aren't a cook or don't have time to spend in the kitchen, pick up food from the grocery store or call on a caterer for some or all of what you serve. You will pay more but stress less. Just dress it up and give it a festive name.

Cupcakes, either homemade or from a bakery, look even more delicious when wrapped in special paper or topped with a printed accent attached to a toothpick or lollipop stick (available in the baking section at craft stores).

Jars of candy look festive, and most guests would eagerly dip into M&amp;Ms or peppermint sticks.

White and clear glass serving dishes are the most versatile, and they don't detract from food. Lee stocks up on cake plates so she can vary heights on her tables. "There's just not an ugly cake plate," she says.

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Square serving dishes available at Target, Pier 1 and other retailers keep tables orderly and look chic. Add scrapbook paper to the bottom of the dish if you want to complement your theme. Also look for clear acrylic serving dishes at party and craft stores.

Lee uses disposable plastic tablecloths as a base and accents tables with patterned fabric or burlap as the centerpiece. For her football party, she used green felt to make a football field.

Resist the urge to clutter the table with too much decoration. The food and a few simple accents will do the trick.

Lee likes to send home hand-decorated sugar cookies as a thank-you to guests. Homemade favors are always appreciated, but guests aren't likely to judge the host who gives them a store-bought treat such as peppermint bark, decadent truffles or dressed-up popcorn. If time and budget allow, ask a baker to create cookies to match your theme.

Pre-party parties can be a fun way for friends to help assemble food or favors, Lee says, but if those friends are on your guest list, it will spoil their surprise.

As you prepare for guests, don't despair if things aren't going smoothly. Take it from a pro.

"The party goes on," Lee says. "The point of the whole event is to enjoy yourself. If you're stressing out over every tiny detail, you're not having fun."